POWER CONNECTION
The school will most likely have had the power to your house connected already. You will need to have the power transferred to your name within the first week. To do this, you need to fill in a form, available either from the School Officer in the front office, or from the Indian Ocean Territories Power Authority. They are located upstairs in the Indian Ocean Territories Administration building which is located on Jalan Pantai opposite the Post Office. You can contact account enquiries on 9164 7901 extension 7921 and can email on iotpabilling@ag.gov.au Keep any receipts from the cost of connecting your power, you can claim some money back from the Department of Education and Training as part of a Disturbance Allowance (more info in a separate section).
On Christmas Island teachers are entitled to claim air conditioning subsidy from the Department of Education and Training. First, pay your power bill either online or in person at the Indian Ocean Territories Administration Collector of Public Monies. This office is also located in the IOT Administration building. To claim your subsidy you need to keep the full page receipt. To accompany the copy of the receipt, you will need to complete an air conditioning subsidy form. These are located at school in the pigeon holes opposite the fax machine. Fax these through to the DET and the reimbursement will come in one of your next pays. Keep an eye on your pays, though, sometimes DET ‘loses’ faxes. If you haven’t seen the subsidy, resend it.
WATER
Again, this will likely have been connected before you arrive. You will need to have this transferred to your name within the first week. To do this you will need to contact Water Corporation located at Temple Court Shops, Gaze Rd Settlement (next to the Newsagency). They can be reached at 9164 7826 or on 0439215203. Keep any receipts from the cost of connecting water you can claim some money back from the Department of Education and Training as part of a Disturbance Allowance (more info in a separate section).
TELEPHONE CONNECTION
You can organise to have your phone connected by calling Telstra on 13 22 00. Island calls are charged at local rates, with calls to the mainland charged at STD rates. Keep the receipt of the cost of connecting your phone – you can claim some money back from the Department of Education and Training as part of a Disturbance Allowance. Mobile phones are increasingly popular on Christmas Island, however only Telstra phones and plans work here. Vodaphone and Optus plans will not work on Christmas Island.
INTERNET CONNECTION
You can organise an internet connection at home. Both dial-up (phoneline) and broadband (wireless) connections are currently available. Internet speed is slower than mainland speeds due to the limited bandwidth of the island. Dial-up internet speed is limited by the phone system and is anywhere between 14 kilobytes per second and 22 kilobytes per second. It is intended to phase out dial-up services in favour of broadband in the near future. Broadband speed is also limited and is provided via satellite so there is a high latency (lag time). Speed can be up to 64 kilobytes per second. There is usually a waiting list for broadband connection. Dial-up internet connections can be organized through your phone provider (Telstra for example on 13 76 63) and wireless internet connections can be organized through Christmas Island Internet Administration (.cx) on 9164 8808.
POST OFFICE BOXES
There are no home mail deliveries on Christmas Island and residents have a post office box at the Post Office. You can organise one of these by contacting the CI Post Office on 9164 8495. You can also organise a Christmas Island PO Box at any mainland Australia Post Office. Be sure to tell them though that you are eligible for a reduced rate (as CI has no home delivery and we are GST free) – it will save you about $60. You will be provided with a key to your box and can access this at any time (they are located outside the building). When you receive a parcel, you will get a red card in your box and will need to present this to the staff at the counter during opening hours to get your parcel. Keep the receipt from arranging your post office box - you can claim some money back from the Department of Education and Training as part of a Disturbance Allowance.
VEHICLES
Newcomers, either ship their own cars to the island or they purchase cars already on island. Some new teachers have organised for their buddy to let them know what vehicles are available and have then made arrangements for purchase on arrival. Please be aware, that if you are shipping your car to the island, it may be some time before you receive it, due to bad weather or shipping problems. The distance from the Settlement to the school is 5 km, and from Poon Saan to the school 2 km. The area is extremely hilly and a vehicle is necessary. The climb from settlement to the school or hospital is over 200 mtrs and although some young and fit enthusiasts will ride up by mountain bike, this is only for the few. 2WD vehicles can be used to visit most of the sights on island, but 4WD can be handy for reaching less accessible areas. The school is unable to provide new staff with vehicles for personal use, but there are several ways of getting around.
Firstly, many staff live in similar areas on the island and it is fairly easy to organize a lift to and from school or staff functions. Buddies are often very helpful in this regard, though they are unlikely to have cars that they can loan out.
A school bus service runs on school days to and from school. There is a bus for each main residential area of the island – Settlement, Kampong, Poon Saan, Silver City and Drumsite. The buses leave these areas around 7.15am and arrive at school between 7.30am and 7.45am. Buses Depart the school site in the afternoon between 2.15 and 2.20pm. School students and staff are welcome to catch these buses to and from school.
The Recreation Centre also currently runs a bus service to and from various residential areas to the Recreation Centre. Check with the Recreation Centre for up to date times and stops.
Cars can be hired on island through several agents, though numbers are limited and pre-booking is highly recommended.
Kiats Car Hire - (08)9164 8665 or 043 921 5678
Full Moon International - (08)9164 7586 or 043 921 5811
Soong Car Rental - (08)9164 8191 or 043 921 5889
Scooters are also becoming a popular mode of transport on island, though they are not ideal during the wet season. Scooters can be hired from Christmas Island Scooter Hire (located at the roundabout) on 0438 993 912. A $500 cash or credit card bond is required for all rentals.
Bikes with helmets can be hired from the Christmas Island Visitors’ Centre at $12 per day. A $50 dollar bond is payable on hire. You must wear a helmet under Australian Law.
The island comes under the jurisdiction of the Australian Federal Police and has Australian laws and processes. If you are bringing a car from the mainland you will need to transfer the registration at the Vehicle Licensing Office, located in the Shire of Christmas Island buildings on Murray Rd (near the water tank). You can also renew Vehicle Registrations here if you have bought a car on island. Their contact phone number is 9164 7768.
If you are leaving your car on the mainland you can place it in storage and claim back some money from the DET either as accounts are paid or in bulk at the end of the year. Again, you will need your receipts. Some residents have found that it is useful to have their car stored in a facility such as Park’n’Fly which enables them to access it when they return to Perth for holidays or professional learning. If you choose to sell your car and make a loss on the sale you can also claim for this as long as you have the documentation.
Taxis
There is a taxi service on Christmas Island – Island Taxis which runs a standard Taxi Service. Taxis are also available for airport transfers, beach drop off and pick ups and tours on request. Contact Island Taxis on 043 921 5644 for bookings or more information.
Drivers Licence
Your existing Australian drivers licence is valid on Christmas Island initially. You will however, eventually need to apply for a Christmas Island licence. CI Police will be able to give you more information about time frames. You need to call Vehicle Licensing on 91647 7768 to make an appointment to have your photo taken and pay for the new licence. A one year licence currently costs $36.60 and a 5 year licence currently costs $116.00. Keep your receipt as you can claim the cost of a CI drivers licence from DET. You will also need to provide a copy of your licence to do this.
HEAD OUT FOR A DRINK AND A MEAL
After organizing all your bits and pieces, you are probably exhausted and have found your fridge is empty! There are several pubs and places to eat out on island, some with ocean views. Opening hours vary slightly from day to day and during busy periods, bookings may be necessary. Although, theoretically drinking in public reserves is not permitted, the police take a fairly relaxed approach to people enjoying a drink at the cove. The locations and contact numbers for the pubs and restaurants on island are listed in The Essential Christmas Island Travel Guide.